A NEW face has joined the fight against crime in Poole - the town's first community warden.

Robin Morgan will be responsible for tackling criminal damage in the borough.

He will focus on "hotspot areas" flagged up to him by residents, the police or other local agencies, and said the Bourne Valley area is one of the places he will be patrolling.

"Criminal damage and antisocial behaviour usually go hand in hand," he said, adding that one of his main tools will be his power of persuasion.

"I can't go around arresting people or doing stop and search, I'm much more community focused.

"For example, last night I saw two young people throwing stones in the street and I told them off, explaining that it was dangerous to throw stones when there are cars in the road."

Robin will be street-based and will patrol regularly to provide a high visibility presence and point of contact within the community.

He will work closely with the police, especially beat officers, and aims to build on close working relationships with other agencies and council services to respond to on-going problems together.

Robin has had experience of working with young people and the elderly and is keen to be involved in all aspects of the local community.

Councillor Bill Wretham, Poole's portfolio holder for housing and social inclusion, said: "This new post is an exciting addition to our community safety team, providing a valuable front line presence on our streets.

"I am certain this will be a great asset to those communities in Poole which suffer from problems associated with criminal damage."

First published: September 11